Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian-born voice actor and former stand up comedian. He is best known for his voicework in Futurama, as Egon Spengler in The Real Ghostbusters, and The Brain in Animaniacs/Pinky and The Brain.

Early life

LaMarche was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, but his family moved to Timmins, Ontario very soon after he was born. LaMarche's childhood was filled with his "own little world of cartoons and sixties television". It wasn't until his sophomore year of high school that he learned of the popularity his talent for mimicry could garner him. This realization came from a coincidental performance in a high school "variety night" when a couple of friends urged him to enter. The act he performed at the variety night was "celebrities as waiters" which he actually used all the way up until the end of his stand up career.

Stand up

At the age of 19, LaMarche took his high school act to an open mic night in New York, performing to a reaction in which, as he describes, "they just totally ignored me". This reaction was coupled with the backlash LaMarche received from fellow Canadian comedians who LaMarche describes as discouraging him from pursuing a career outside of Canada.

Three years later, at the age of 22, Maurice moved straight to Los Angeles to further his stand up career. This move, LaMarche says, would always be something he regretted doing instead of moving to New York.

"... in retrospect, I thought it was a mistake.

I think that a couple of years in New York would have made me a stronger comedian."

- Maurice LaMarche

Over the next five years, LaMarche's career would gradually progress, playing comedy clubs all over the U.S., with several appearances on Merv Griffin and "An Evening At The Improv", but in spite of such interest, LaMarche always believed that, while his impersonations and stage presence were strong, he needed to develop funnier comedy material. Despite being so critical of himself, LaMarche would be granted the opportunity of being part of the 1985 HBO production, Rodney Dangerfield Hosts the 9th Annual Young Comedians Special, on which also appeared Bob Saget, Rita Rudner, Louie Anderson, Yakov Smirnov, and the breakout first appearance of Sam Kinison. Although he was received (and reviewed) favorably, in looking back on his own performance in that special, LaMarche believed he was "probably about five years away from going from being a good comedian to being a great comedian" and being the "only impressionist that actually comes from somewhere". Unfortunately, LaMarche wouldn't get that chance.

On March 9, 1987, Maurice LaMarche's father was murdered, shot to death by a lifelong friend in a Toronto hotel lobby, in front of dozens of witnesses. This sent LaMarche into depression and alcoholism for the next two years, effectively stalling his stand up career. After getting sober on Inauguration Day in 1989, LaMarche embarked again into the world of his first love, standup comedy, in the early part of 1990. However, just as he was regaining lost momentum, tragedy struck once more, as his eighteen-year-old sister was killed in a car accident in September of that year. At this point, though he remained sober, LaMarche decided he just couldn't do standup comedy anymore.

"Oh, that's it.

I don't have any funny left in me.

I'm done."

- Maurice LaMarche

During his standup career, Maurice LaMarche opened for such acts as Rodney Dangerfield, George Carlin, Howie Mandel, David Sanborn and Donna Summer, usually in the main showrooms of Las Vegas and Atlantic City.

Voiceover acting

Maurice's first entrance into the voiceover industry was in 1979 in Easter Fever and Take Me Up To The Ballgame, two Canadian films. LaMarche didn't venture into voiceover acting again until years later as a side endeavor during his full-time standup comedy career.

Maurice was recently interviewed about his voiceover career on movie podcast Battleship Pretension.

Television

Maurice LaMarche began on Inspector Gadget and went on to Dennis the Menace, Popeye and Son and The Real Ghostbusters. After The Real Ghostbusters, LaMarche became a regular mainstay of the voiceover industry appearing in such shows as Talespin, Tiny Toon Adventures, GI Joe, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: The Animated Series, Taz-Mania, Where's Waldo, The Little Mermaid, Batman: The Animated Series, and Bonkers before landing perhaps his most recognized role in 1993 as The Brain on Animaniacs (and later its spin-off show Pinky and the Brain). Following this, LaMarche worked on The Critic, Freakazoid!, and The Tick before then reprising his role of Egon in Extreme Ghostbusters. The stretch of two years after this saw LaMarche portray characters in such shows as Duckman, Hey Arnold! as Big Bob Pataki, Queer Duck, King of the Hill, The Chimp Channel, and Sonic Underground as Sleet. It was at this time, 1999, that Maurice LaMarche began work on Futurama. Since Futurama LaMarche has continued to work steadily in television, including guest roles on The Simpsons (where he once again parodied Orson Welles). His most recent regular role came as Hovis the butler on the Nickelodeon series Catscratch.

LaMarche has done various voice work for many Warner Bros. Animation and DiC Entertainment cartoons. He also delivered the protracted belches for the "Great Wakkorotti" shorts on Animaniacs, in which Wakko Warner performed various pieces of music.

Pinky and the Brain

Maurice LaMarche plays the character of The Brain in Pinky and the Brain. In creating the voice for Brain, LaMarche says he looked at a picture of the character and immediately thought of Orson Welles, although the character wasn't modeled after Welles. Voicing Brain gave LaMarche the opportunity to make use of his signature impersonation of Welles. Many Pinky and the Brain episodes are nods to Welles' career. LaMarche won an Annie Award for his role as the Brain, and was nominated for an Emmy.

The Critic

While working on The Critic LaMarche once voiced 29 characters in one 30 minute episode.

His time on The Critic also afforded LaMarche the opportunity to once again parody Welles, this time after a video reading of a will (the Critic's family was so wealthy, they'd hired Orson Welles to narrate it) dissolves into a commercial for Mrs. Pells Fishsticks (as well as another for Rosebud Frozen Peas, and another for Blotto Bros. wine).

The Inspector Gadget universe

LaMarche has voiced Inspector Gadget (originally voiced by Don Adams) in two Inspector Gadget films (direct-to-video and television movies) as well as two television series (the original, and Gadget and the Gadgetinis), plus a live-action appearance in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!. LaMarche also voiced Chief Quimby.

Heroes

LaMarche acted, voice only, in the second episode of the hit NBC show Heroes, "Don't Look Back", as the villain Sylar. His voice is heard in a chilling recorded phone conversation on Chandra Suresh's answering machine. The role of Sylar was later played by Zachary Quinto.

Film

LaMarche has appeared in many films including the voice of Orson Welles in Ed Wood, Pepe Le Pew in Space Jam, the voice of Alec Baldwin in Team America: World Police and reprising his roles from Queer Duck and Futurama in the direct-to-video films Queer Duck: The Movie and Futurama: Bender's Big Score, respectively.

His one on-camera theatrical film performance was in the 1981 Canadian feature "Funny Farm", not to be confused with a later Chevy Chase vehicle of the same name. The film follows the story of a young standup comedian's attempt to break into the big-time on the L.A. comedy scene. LaMarche played Dickie Lyons, an impressionist who befriends the main character, Mark Champlin. The film also starred Howie Mandel, Eileen Brennan, and Miles Chapin.

In Mark Hamill's 2004 movie Comic Book: The Movie, LaMarche made a rare live appearance to be in the special features of the DVD alongside Pinky and the Brain co-star Rob Paulsen. Among other gags, he re-enacted his impression of Orson Welles' famous frozen peas commercial outtake.

Outside of film, television, and radio, LaMarche's repertoire includes audio-books, as he recently served as narrator for a collection of H.P. Lovecraft short stories.

Roles in television, film and video games

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2009	Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder	Kif Kroker The Donbot Clamps Calculon Morbo Lrrr Various Characters	direct-to-video animated movie
2008	Crash: Mind over Mutant	Dr. Nitrus Brio	(uncredited) video game by Radical Entertainment
	Futurama: Bender's Game	Various Characters	direct-to-video animated movie
	The Jewish Nudist Buddhist	God	Independent Film
	Guild Wars: Eye of the North	Vekk
	Dead Space: Downfall	White, Bavaro	direct-to-video animated movie
	Tripping the Rift: The Movie	Gus	direct-to-video CGI animated movie
	Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs	Kif Kroker Various Characters	direct-to-video animated movie
2007	Futurama: Bender's Big Score	Kif Kroker Morbo Calculon Lrrr Additional characters	direct-to-video animated movie
2006	Tak & the Power of Juju	Chief	animated series
	Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas	Yosemite Sam	animated movie
	Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law	Apache Chief Fred Flintstone Wally Gator Quick Draw McGraw Inch High Private Eye Atom Ant Various	animated series
	Shuriken School	Mr. No Naginata Kubo Utamaro Zumichito Daisuke Togakame	animated series
	Operation: Z.E.R.O.	Father	animated television movie
	Casper's Scare School	Pirate Thurdigree Burns	animated television movie
	Barnyard	Igg the Cow	animated movie
	Queer Duck: The Movie	Oscar Wildcat	direct-to-video
2005	Tripping the Rift	Gus	CGI animated series
	Inspector Gadget's Biggest Caper Ever	Inspector Gadget	direct-to-video animated movie
	Catscratch	Hovis	animated series
	Pom Poko	Narrator	animated movie (English dub)
2004	Team America: World Police	Alec Baldwin	voice only
	Balto III: Wings of Change	Balto	direct-to-video animated movie
	Felix the Cat Saves Christmas	Rock Bottom	direct-to-video animated movie
	Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers	Shorty, one of The Beagle Boys	direct-to-video animated movie
	Comic Book: The Movie	Himself	"Behind the Voices" special feature live action
2003	101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure	Horace	direct-to-video animated movie
	K10C: Kids' Ten Commandments	Omri and Amos	animated series
2002	Inspector Gadget's Last Case: Claw's Revenge	Inspector Gadget	direct-to-video animated movie
	Hey Arnold!: The Movie	Big Bob Pataki Head of Security	animated movie
	Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring	Spike and Alley Cat	direct-to-video animated movie
	My Gym Partner's a Monkey	Mr. Hornbill Mr. Blowhole Pixie Frog Mandrill	animated series
	Codename: Kids Next Door	Father	animated series
	Balto II: Wolf Quest	Balto	direct-to-video animated movie
2001	The Oblongs	Tommy Vinegar	animated series
2000	Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman	Mr. Lawrence Talbot	voice only animated movie
	Hard Drinkin' Lincoln	John Wilkes Booth	animated series
1999	Inspector Gadget: Gadget's Greatest Gadgets	Inspector Gadget Chief Quimby	voice only animated movie
	Wakko's Wish	Brain Squit	direct-to-video animated movie
	The Chimp Channel	Harry Waller Bernard the Sarcastic Cockatoo
	Dilbert	The World's Smartest Garbageman	animated series
	Queer Duck	Oscar Wildcat Mr. Duckstein Other Characters	animated series
	Futurama	Kif Kroker Morbo Calculon Lrrr Horrible Gelatinous Blob Walt Hedonism Bot DonBot Additional characters	animated series
	Sonic Underground	Sleet SWATbots	animated series
1998	Histeria!	Abraham Lincoln	animated series
1997	Space Goofs	Etno	animated series
	Extreme Ghostbusters	Egon Spengler	animated series
1996	Space Jam	Pepe Le Pew
	Dexter's Laboratory	Simion	animated series
	Rocko's Modern Life	Conglomo Lizard	animated series
	All Dogs Go to Heaven 2	Lost & Found Officer	animated movie
1995	Duckman	Merv Griffin	animated series
	Freakazoid!	Longhorn The Brain Dan Captain "K"	animated series
	The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries	Yosemite Sam and others	animated series
	Pinky and the Brain	The Brain	animated series
1994	The Tick	Human Ton & Handy Various other characters	animated series
	The Critic	Additional Voices	animated series
	Ed Wood	Orson Welles	voice only
1993	Animaniacs	Brain Spartacus Bob Hope Squit Wakko (burping only)	animated series
	Bonkers	Mr. Blackenblue	animated series
1991	Taz-Mania	Hugh Tasmanian Devil	animated series
	Felix the Cat: The Movie	The Grandpher	direct-to-video animated movie
1990	Captain Planet and the Planeteers	Verminous Skumm	animated series
	Tiny Toon Adventures	Dizzy Devil	animated series
	TaleSpin	General Patton	animated series
	Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: The Animated Series	Zoltan Ketchuck Tomato Guy	animated series
1988	Beany and Cecil	Dishonest John	animated series
1987	The Facts of Life	Rod Sperling	live action
	Popeye and Son	Popeye	animated series
1986	The Real Ghostbusters	Egon Spengler	animated series
	Transformers	Six-Gun	animated series
	Dennis the Menace	George Wilson Henry Mitchell	animated series
	Popples	Puzzle	animated series
1983	Inspector Gadget	Chief Quimby	animated series

Other media

• Commercials
  • Kellogg's Froot Loops spokesbird Toucan Sam.
  • The animated Willy Wonka character in Nestlé's Willy Wonka Candy Company' commercials
• Video games
  • Several characters in Lucasarts' Full Throttle
  • Yoshimo and Renal Bloodscalp in the award-winning RPG, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn.
  • Jack O' Lantern in The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy
  • Vekk in Guild Wars Eye of the North
  • The Brain in Animaniacs: The Great Edgar Hunt
  • Doctor Nitrus Brio in Crash: Mind over Mutant
  • The Devil in George and William: Idiot Essimary
• Narrator in the commercial for the video game Nightmare Creatures [65080]

Not only that he was also the narrator for the suprisingly popular animated movie "Pom Poko"

References

1. Interview with Quick Stop Entertainment (5th question) Interview with Quick Stop Entertainment (8th question)
2. Interview with Quick Stop Entertainment (12th question)
3. Interview with Quick Stop Entertainment (18th question)
4. Interview with Quick Stop Entertainment (questions 19-21)
5. Interview with Quick Stop Entertainment (Questions 22-26)
6. Interview with Quick Stop Entertainment (40th question)
7. Interview with Quick Stop Entertainment (Questions 42-43)
8. Interview with Quick Stop Entertainment (43rd question)
9. Interview with Quick Stop Entertainment (51st question)
10. Interview with Quick Stop Entertainment (45th question)
11. Interview with Quick Stop Entertainment (2nd page, Questions 33 and 39
12. Interview with Quick Stop Entertainment (5th question)
13. Interview with Quick Stop Entertainment (3rd page, 27th question)
14. Interview with Quick Stop Entertainment (4th page, 19th question)

External links

• Interview with Maurice LaMarche on "The Joe Cook Program"
• International Creative Management (Talent Agent)